Congress gives Duterte authority over budget, operation of medical facilities in fight vs. COVID-19

Congress has given President Rodrigo Duterte the arsenal to fight the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), passing on late Monday a bill that allows him to realign the 2020 budget and direct operations of hospitals and medical facilities to address the health crisis.

The measure dubbed "Bayanihan to Heal as One Act" was approved as the nation grapples with the impact of the COVID-19 that as of March 23 infected a total of 462 people and killed 33.

With a Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine in place, only  several members of the House of Representatives showed up at the session hall, while 12 senators were present in the special session conducted by both chambers.

According to the bill, while the government has ramped up its efforts against the spread of the novel coronavirus, the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 continues to increase, and there is now an urgent need to minimize its transmission, mobilize assistance to affected individuals and provide healthcare and treatment to patients.

Interpellation and voting for some House members were done online.  At the Senate, eight senators cast their votes via phonepatch.

Duterte certified the bill as urgent allowing both chambers to approve it on second and third reading on the same day.

Once enacted into law, the measure will come into full effect but for only three months, unless extended by Congress.

Power over private hospitals, transportation facilities

The provision on emergency powers in the original version of the House bill that stirred controversy was removed. It was supposed to give authority to the President to "temporarily take over privately-owned public utilities and businesses."

The approved measure empowers the President to temporarily direct the operations of "privately-owned hospitals, medical and health facilities including passenger vessels and other establishments," when the public interest so requires.

The said facilities may be used as temporary housing for health workers, as quarantine areas, or aid distribution locations. Public transportation facilities may also be used to ferry health, emergency, and frontline personnel.

"The management and operation of the foregoing enterprises shall be retained by the owners of the enterprise, who shall render a full accounting to the President or his duly authorized representative," the bill read.

It also indicated that the President may take over the operations of the said enterprises—subject to limits and safeguards of the Constitution—if the said establishments "unjustifiably refuse or signify that they are no longer capable of operating their enterprises" for COVID-19 response.

Businesses may likewise be required to "prioritize and accept contracts, subject to fair and reasonable terms," to deliver necessary materials and services amid the health emergency.

Provisions granting authority to expedite procurement of essential medical equipment and protective gear, facilitate efficient COVID-19 laboratory tests, and provide hazard pay and special risk allowance to frontline workers were also included.

Meanwhile, Duterte will be obliged to submit a weekly report to the Congress of all actions he performed pursuant to the proposed law. A Joint Congressional Oversight Committee shall review those reports.

Budget realignment

The measure authorizes Duterte to "allocate cash, funds, investments, including unutilized or unreleased subsidies and transfers, held by any government-owned and controlled corporation or any national government agency . . . necessary in order to address the COVID-19 emergency."

It said that the following items in the budget shall be prioritized for augmentation:

• Under the Department of Health – Operational budgets of government hospitals, primarily those identified for treatment of COVID-19; prevention and control of other infectious diseases; emergency preparedness and response; quick response fund
   
• Under the University of the Philippines – Operational budget of the Philippine General Hospital
   
• National Disaster Risk Reduction Fund or Calamity Fund
   
• Programs of the Department of Labor and Employment
   
• Under the Department of Trade and Industry -  Livelihood Seeding Program and Negosyo Serbisyo sa Barangay
   
• Under the Department of Agriculture – Rice Farmers Financial Assistance Program
   
• Under various Department of Social Welfare and Development programs
   
• Under Allocations to Local Government Units
   
• Quick Response Funds lodged various relevant departments

At the House, Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund Villafuerte, who sponsored the measure in the plenary, said there are P275 billion off-budget funds that can be used to address COVID-19 on top of the funds from the 2020 General Appropriations Act that can also be used.

Of the P275 billion budget, P200 billion will be set aside for an emergency subsidy program for around 18 million affected families for two months. The remaining P75 billion will be used for health expenditures and other services.

P5k to P8k per family

The approved bill would ensure flexibility of releasing emergency subsidies to 18 million low-income Filipino families in the country who may starve while the enhanced community quarantine is being implemented, according to measure's proponents.

Each low-income household is projected to receive around P5,000 to P8,000 per month for two months from various national government and local government programs, "whether in cash or kind, but mostly food," according to Senator Pia Cayetano who sponsored the bill on the floor.

"The exact amount is determined in proportion to the minimum wage of their respective region," she added. —LDF, GMA News